A New Deadly Virus in Africa

The deaths of three people due to a mysterious disease in Zambia and South Africa have demanded the attention of the South African government and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Preliminary tests indicated that the mystery disease was caused by a virus from the family that includes Lassa fever, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Investigations began after an office employee at a safari tour company in Zambia died on September 14 in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, two days after undergoing a medical evacuation from Zambia.

A paramedic who cared for that patient was later admitted to hospital in Johannesburg and died on October 2, and a nurse who was also involved in the care of the first patient died on October 5.

The three experienced fever, headaches, diarrhea and myalgia that developed into rash and hepatic dysfunction followed by rapid deterioration and death.

A fourth case has now been confirmed to be a nurse who had close contact with one of the earlier cases. She has been admitted to a hospital in South Africa.

Arenaviruses cause chronic infections in some wild African mice. The infected mice excrete the virus in their urine, which can then contaminate human food or house dust. Viruses similar to the Lassa fever virus have been found in rodents in Africa; but other than those in West Africa, they have not been found to cause diseases in humans. It remains to be determined whether this is a previously unrecognized member of the arenaviruses.